Rumor: Boozer says he's signing with Detroit or New Jersey

I think we're all kidding ourselves here. We'll continue to sign some mid range players who will help us to a .500 season for the next umpteen years. The star who will take us over the top is unfortunately...STILL IN 7th GRADE...

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Are his varsity middle-school games televised on the internet? I would probably check those out to see the development happen.

We know about his failure to honor his promise in Cleveland. We know his reputation for lack of defensive effort. We know his propensity for injury. We know he'll be a 20 and 10 guy too.

There shouldn't be any surprises.

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I don't know man, having 5 relatively healthy seasons out of 7 years is hardly a propensity for injury if you ask me. You want injuries....see Bill Walton, Sam Bowie, Jamaal Mashburn, Tracy McGrady (who people keep begging for), or Agent 0. Boozer his hardly the walking infirmary that people are making him out to be.

Nevermind the fact that I love defense as much as the next guy...and probably more. However, this TEAM hasn't put any kind of focus on defense in the last 4 years and has actively sought to bring in more scoring and put less of a premium on defense. If you're goinig to go that route...at least get the most talented guys you can at their positions instead of the rentals that we've been waisting money on the last few years.

Besides, unlike some others...I have painful memories of The Teal Years and I have no interest in us taking the cheap route and tanking in hopes of signing the next pre-teen phenom. None for me thanks.

I can appreciate people placing a value on integrity, so to speak, but I want to win....sometimes, you don't get to win with all the guys in white hats. It's a business and just like in all things, you sometimes have to accept things or people you would prefer not to have to deal with in order to get the job done.

I can appreciate people placing a value on integrity, so to speak, but I want to win....sometimes, you don't get to win with all the guys in white hats. It's a business and just like in all things, you sometimes have to accept things or people you would prefer not to have to deal with in order to get the job done.

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That is exactly the philosophy maintained by the Indiana Pacers.

Personally, I'd rather lose with the guys in the white hats than lose with the guys in the black hats. Why not get some guys that wear the white hats and try to WIN with them?

Don't tell me they aren't available. There is a reason that goes beyond mere "co-inkydinky" that the talented black hatters are so abundant in free agency, don't you think?

No matter, Low. When it comes to this kind of stuff, I think we've seen a pretty clear pattern that some forum members will take one stance on this type of issue and others will take the opposite stance. Looks like the lines have been drawn in the sand.

Reminds me of law school. On any given topic it was so easy to tell which persons were the future prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, or corporate lawyers.

Personally, I'd rather lose with the guys in the white hats than lose with the guys in the black hats. Why not get some guys that wear the white hats and try to WIN with them?

Don't tell me they aren't available. There is a reason that goes beyond mere "co-inkydinky" that the talented black hatters are so abundant in free agency, don't you think?

No matter, Low. When it comes to this kind of stuff, I think we've seen a pretty clear pattern that some forum members will take one stance on this type of issue and others will take the opposite stance. Looks like the lines have been drawn in the sand.

Reminds me of law school. On any given topic it was so easy to tell which persons were the future prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, or corporate lawyers.

Personally, I'd rather lose with the guys in the white hats than lose with the guys in the black hats. Why not get some guys that wear the white hats and try to WIN with them?

Don't tell me they aren't available. There is a reason that goes beyond mere "co-inkydinky" that the talented black hatters are so abundant in free agency, don't you think?

No matter, Low. When it comes to this kind of stuff, I think we've seen a pretty clear pattern that some forum members will take one stance on this type of issue and others will take the opposite stance. Looks like the lines have been drawn in the sand.

Reminds me of law school. On any given topic it was so easy to tell which persons were the future prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, or corporate lawyers.

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Yes, being a desert resident, I've become quite familiar with sand and it's lines...I don't think anyone is going to change anyone else's mind...all we can really do is try to explain the rationale to a point that let's people know that we HAVE thought it through (with the exception of DHOF'ers...).

Yes, being a desert resident, I've become quite familiar with sand and it's lines...I don't think anyone is going to change anyone else's mind...all we can really do is try to explain the rationale to a point that let's people know that we HAVE thought it through (with the exception of DHOF'ers...).

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i kinda disagree...sometimes i have a nebulous opinion toward a given situation and reading a discussion from both sides helps me form a solid opinion for myself. You might not change the person on the opposite side of the fence but you could sway the feelings of the middle people.

Not that it matters...its not an election or anything. But i find it useful for me to read the total opinions to get my own. Which is the function of debate i guess.

A number of you are still talking about Carlos Boozer, a development that inspires this response from the rest of us, along with some people in the organization: Huh? We haven't talked to Rob Pelinka about this - he wouldn't talk on the record about it anyway -- but let's look at it pragmatically: His client will make $12.6M next year if he doesn't opt out. Where else will he get that $12.6? We assume Pelinka floated this in case he needs a Plan B if the Detroit connection doesn't happen for them. And he undoubtedly has heard what we're hearing: The Pistons are now giving as much (if not more) consideration to Paul Millsap, to the tune of $8-9M per year, which is an ample jump from the $797K he was paid last season. And if Detroit has cooled on Boozer, he's going to have to scramble to find anything like the 5/60M he's looking for - or thinks he deserves. Can't see it. Not in Jersey, perhaps not anywhere. We asked Thorn point-blank whether he's spoken to his good friend Kevin O'Connor in Utah lately (yes, he understood we were hinting about sign-and-trade scenarios), and his reply was a terse, "nope, not a single conversation." That doesn't mean a move for Boozer wouldn't benefit the Nets. You accelerate the rebuild by a year, and solidify the weakest position. And he's obviously comfortable in Jersey - he has a home here, if only to be close to the health care specialists that his son (he had a bone marrow transplant a year ago for sickle sell) requires. But you also have to wonder how this guy will play with a new contract, since he's never been dependable in the past - he's missed 33 percent of the games (134 of 410) in the last five years, fercryinoutloud - and he plays the kind of defense that gets coaches fired. Moreover, it's hard to ignore the fact that Gasol destroyed him in the last two postseasons. Or that Utah would love for him to walk away now, so they can pay Millsap. No, the Jazz don't want any part of Vince Carter. So the only deal to be made is Bobby Simmons' expiring deal, plus two young bigs (Yi/Ryan) and at least one first-round pick. Maybe Utah thinks about that, but we doubt it. And maybe the Nets consider, if only to avoid the 2010 rat race. But it's a long-shot at best, perpetuated by a very nervous agent who suddenly sees his market drying up.

Boozer is a cancer, and I think teams are starting to realize that. If he plays hard, well then maybe he might be worth $12 mil per. But more likely, this is Boozer's last big contract, he knows it, and so he has zero incentive to bust his butt.

I don't care how much Boozer's next contract is, he's going to coast. So here's the question, how much is an extremely talented, lazy, injury prone pf, that's going to take a quarter of the games off because he doesn't feel like playing, but might turn it on in the playoffs worth? MLE? maybe

Boozer is a cancer, and I think teams are starting to realize that. If he plays hard, well then maybe he might be worth $12 mil per. But more likely, this is Boozer's last big contract, he knows it, and so he has zero incentive to bust his butt.

I don't care how much Boozer's next contract is, he's going to coast. So here's the question, how much is an extremely talented, lazy, injury prone pf, that's going to take a quarter of the games off because he doesn't feel like playing, but might turn it on in the playoffs worth? MLE? maybe

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I don't think that he's a cancer in the traditional sense of coming in and alienating the locker room like a T.O. does. I think the concern for GM's is that he will under-perform his contract if they give him what he wants (what that like $15 million per?), and if they don't give him what he wants he will still sign but be unhappy with his pay.

No doubt he did himself a disservice with his deal in Cleveland and his recent comments in the media. Should have just kept his mouth shut.

I think it's clear that if he opts out of Utah, Joe D will be his only suitor. I think we can trust Joe not to throw a stupid contract at him under this scenario. He should probably reconsider opting out at this point, because he is probably looking at a paycut if he does.

I don't think that he's a cancer in the traditional sense of coming in and alienating the locker room like a T.O. does. I think the concern for GM's is that he will under-perform his contract if they give him what he wants (what that like $15 million per?), and if they don't give him what he wants he will still sign but be unhappy with his pay.

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Cancer is probably the wrong word. Carlos isn't going to cause trouble or get arrested. What he will do is nurse minor injuries and give a weak effort. Kinda like DC.

...And he undoubtedly has heard what we're hearing: The Pistons are now giving as much (if not more) consideration to Paul Millsap, to the tune of $8-9M per year, which is an ample jump from the $797K he was paid last season...

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Great....just what we need, one more cheap fix and overpaying an overrated player to plug into a gap they COULD fill by adding the guy who's much better ON THE SAME TEAM for 10 MIL or so.

Looks like the ghost of Davidson still has the team going cheap again (talent wise). Don't get the really good player. Just get the cheap knock off that can be had for a few bucks less, but is way more than you should be paying for a cheap knock off. Boozer's numbers go UP in the post season while Milsap's went down, yet that's the guy they are getting hot on? Mind numbing.

Great....just what we need, one more cheap fix and overpaying an overrated player to plug into a gap they COULD fill by adding the guy who's much better ON THE SAME TEAM for 10 MIL or so.

Looks like the ghost of Davidson still has the team going cheap again (talent wise). Don't get the really good player. Just get the cheap knock off that can be had for a few bucks less, but is way more than you should be paying for a cheap knock off. Boozer's numbers go UP in the post season while Milsap's went down, yet that's the guy they are getting hot on? Mind numbing.